8.1
Using descriptive detail
in non-fiction writing
In your lesson, you will have explored the myth that there
are many ‘Eskimo’ words for snow. One of the reasons for
the myth is that, in Eskimo languages, one word will contain
lots of different elements, whereas in some other languages,
more than one word will be needed to communicate the
same idea. In English, we often need to use an expanded
noun phrase to communicate a precise idea.
★ Noun phrases
Noun phrases can:
★ Be just one noun: Joe ascended the mountain.
★ Be a determiner and noun: The climber ascended
the mountain.
★ Include a range of adjectives before the noun: The
brave young British climber ascended the mountain.
★ Be modified with extra information after the noun,
e.g. with prepositional phrases: The brave young
British climber with the red jacket ascended the
mountain, or The brave young British climber at
the top of Base Camp ascended the mountain.
★ Be modified with extra information after the noun
using ‘who’, ‘which’ or ‘that’ or using –ing verbs,
e.g. The brave young British climber, who had won
several awards for his previous climbs, ascended
the mountain, or The brave young British climber,
sweeping aside all his fears and thinking only of
victory, ascended the mountain.
TASK > > > >
Discuss with a partner
which of these two
sentences works better.
There is no right answer,
but you need to be able
to explain your choice:
> The icy dagger fell.
> The slick razor-sharp
icicle, hanging like a
madman’s lethal blade
from the ceiling of the
cave, finally fell.
TASK > > > > >
1
2
Take these two sentences containing a simple noun phrase and add adjectives
before the noun to make them more precise and vivid for the reader.
> The ……………………. blizzard raged on.
> A ………………………. snowflake drifted past.
(You could choose from these or use your own: howling, screaming, icy cold,
frightening, bright white, dainty, beautiful, delicate.)
Now take your sentences and add extra information after the noun.
(You could choose from these or use your own: which had started in the far north;
which showed no signs of stopping; with huge chips of stinging ice; gently; slowly
and lazily; followed by a soft cloud.)
Developi ng
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